"No, there's no problem," the knight replied, noticeably intimidated. He took a step back, slightly bowing his head in a sign of respect. "I was just doing my duty. My apologies for detaining you."

  Non nodded calmly, yet he retained an air of authority that seemed to emanate from him.

  Theurned his head toward Emily.

  "Let's go," he said in a tohat, while calm, left no room for discussion.

  Emily nodded silently, following Non as they walked through the streets toward the churbsp;

  As they approached, the architecture of the temple became more visible, and what Emily saw left her pletely bewildered.

  The church was... extravagant.

  Uhe modest chur her neighborhood, which barely had what it o be called a church—with worn walls, a simple altar, and behat creaked with every movement—this pce radiated excessive wealth.

  The tall towers, the windows adorned with stained gss that captured sunlight in vivid colors, and the gilded ors c the fa?ade gave the impression that this pce was not just a temple but a work of art meant to impress anyone who passed through its doors.

  pared to the main chur the city, which, although prestigious, required certain standards like wearing clothes to ehis one exceeded all expectations.

  The size of this church rivaled, or even surpassed, that of the main chur the city.

  Its luxury, more than a demonstration of faith, seemed a decration of power.

  Emily, who had been walking beside Non, suddenly stopped.

  She looked at the enormous door of the church, the people entering and leaving.

  They were nobles, without a doubt. Eae wore fine clothes, high-quality fabrics, detailed embroidery, and jewels that reflected their status.

  Seeing this parade of luxury and elegance made Emily feel even more out of pbsp;

  Her clothes were dirty and u, in a pitiful state after the m's is.

  She couldn't imagine walking alongside all those nobles without feeling a wave of embarrassment.

  Non, notig that she wasn't moving, turned and looked at her curiously.

  "What's wrong?"

  Emily, biting her lip and feeling the weight of the situation on her shoulders, lowered her head, uo look directly at Non.

  "I wait for you out here..." Emily said softly, clearly unfortable.

  Non observed her for a moment, frowning slightly.

  Something didn't add up.

  Recalling the i with the noble earlier and the looks that people in the area had given them, he realized that leaving her alone here wasn't the safest option.

  Moreover, he sehere was something more behind her reluce to enter.

  "Why?" Non asked calmly, already suspeg the answer.

  Emily, still not looking directly at him, nervously fiddled with the folds of her dirty dress.

  "I don't want to embarrass you..."

  For a moment, Emily's words took Non back to his time as a student at the academy.

  He remembered how, back theoo had ofte out of pce, always someone ready to remind him of his status.

  He had been insulted, ridiculed for his choices in time magid looked down upon so many times that...

  He didn't care anymore.

  However, something Non noticed was that everything ged the day he demonstrated his skills in the war.

  The insults turned into pliments, and doors that had once been closed now opened with invitations for him to share what he had learned.

  No out a brief ugh, surprising Emily.

  "Don't worry about that," he said with a smile, although inside he remembered his past. "I've been through worse."

  Emily looked at him, bewildered, but still didn't seem vinced.

  Her eyes returo the entrance of the church, where high-ranking nobles were ing and going.

  Eae had a presehat made her, in her dirty and modest clothes, feel even more out of pbsp;

  For her... it was impossible not to worry!

  The trast was too evident, and the mere thought of entering there o Non, who seemed to belong to that world, terrified her.

  Just as Emily was about to i an excuse to stay outside, a soft yet firm voice caught their attention.

  "Non..."

  Non stopped and turned his head toward the source of the voibsp;

  A young woman with golden hair and bright eyes approached them with graceful steps, her face refleg a hint of nervousness.

  Seeing her, Emily felt a wave of eveer disfort.

  The young woman was beautiful, with fair skin and dressed in clothes that seemed made from the fi materials.

  Everything about her screamed nobility and grabsp;

  "Is it you... Non?" the girl asked, shyness io without losing her posure.

  Non frowned slightly.

  He didn't reize her.

  "Do I know you?"

  The young woman smiled with an air of apology, making a slight bow.

  "It's normal that you don't remember me. It's been a long time since we st met..."

  There was a brief silence before the young woman straightened up and, with a delicate gesture, said:

  "I'm Iris, the princess."

  The words echoed in Emily's mind.

  'The princess...'

  It was as if time had stopped for her.

  The world around her shrank, and an overwhelming desire to disappear flooded her.

  She simply wao vanish, to return home, to a pce where she could escape all this dispy of power and nobility that only reminded her of her p the world.

  Non, for his part, didn't show the same surprise as Emily, though he was also somewhat taken ababsp;

  He looked at the young princess, trying to recall any past enter, but his memory failed him.

  "No, I don't remember you."